A New Home, A New Beginning
by Allenfairytail
Summary: After an unpleasant start in life Hyun moved into Herkleston to live with his grandparents. At first, Hyun doesn't seemed to be all that thrilled being the new kid in Herkleston and was content of living his life with little dependencies. But by becoming friends with Craig, Kelsey and JP, little did Hyun know that he would be drawn into the trio's misadventures in the creek.
1. The Newcomer

**Hello and welcome to my first Craig Of The Creek story. Being the fourth one overall.**

**This story took a long ****while in the making given the fact that the site didn't have Craig OF The Creek listed. Now that the show is now on the site I can finally post the story up! Hop onto writing upon seeing the show section appeared. I'll do my best of making the story good while having each chapter being akin to an episode. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Hyun woke up to the sound of the door opening. It was not dawn yet, as there was total darkness outside and the sound of heavy rain drumming incessantly on the shingled roof. Hyun could vaguely make out the shape of his grandfather washing himself up in his polish floored bathroom. Before long, he made his way downstairs, fully dressed and brought with him an aura of uncertainty of his current situation: many boxes were sitting and leaning on the sea green colored walls in the dining, while an 85 inch tv was placed in the living room and on top of the sofa. The kitchen, however, was fully decorated and the only area that was set up, allowing Hyun and his family to eat comfortably.

Hyun saw his grandfather pouring apple juice in his glass. "Paw Paw, are you heading out already?"

His grandfather glanced up at Hyun. He had black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard, a light complex skin tone and sea-green eyes surrounded by sun-crinkles. His hands were scarred, the result of heavy usage from his job as a fisherman throughout his lifetime. In addition, he wore casual clothes, consisting a long sleeved shirt with a sea theme, with a large size blue and white sweat jacket over it, a pair of black jeans and finally, a pair creamy brown leather boots.

"I'm surprise to see you up this early, Hyun," Hyun's grandfather spoke. "But to answer your question, I'm indeed heading out to the store, so I can resume finishing up our restaurant."

"I see," Hyun wasn't surprised by his grandfather's tenacity; He caught a bad case of the flu almost a week ago and took only about five days to get better, even though he was instructed by the doctor not to do anything else while he was recovering. Hyun's grandfather, however, scoffed at their suggestions, unwilling to let something like the common cold to prevent him from finishing up a goal he set up a long time ago.

"I've rested long enough," Hyun's grandfather then took a sip of his apple juice. "Anyway, how are you this morning?"

Hyun let out a tired yawn. "I'm fine, though I do feel a bit tied. I would have gone back to sleep if it weren't for the butterflies I feel in my stomach right now."

Hyun's grandfather nodded, as he was washing his glass out over the sink. "It must to be from the move. It's okay to be nervous, Hyun. It's natural being new here and all," he let out a sigh. "I know you want mom to come and live with us, but she's doesn't seem interested at all." Hyun's grandfather glanced at his grandson. Something about Hyun's face instantly told the him that he didn't appreciate the subject of his mother being brought up. The old man let out another sigh, before he placed his right hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"It'll get better, Hyun. I promise," It was then that Hyun's grandfather came up with an idea. "Tell you what, why don't you go explore around your neighborhood? You might make a few new friends along the way. I heard some of them hang around in a creek that's not that far around here. What do you say?"

Hyun scratched his chin considering the suggestion. "Hmm…okay. I'll think about it."

Hyun's grandfather form a soft smile. "That's my boy. Now, I gotta get going. Take care of your grandmother while I'm gone."

After they hugged one another, Hyun watched his grandfather walk outside and drove away in his car to the city. Now all by himself, Hyun made his way back upstairs to his room. But as he made his way through the hallway, he noticed one room not far from where he was and headed to his right; the room was still pitched black, but could make out the figure of what was his grandmother, peacefully sleeping on her bed, as she let out a snore. Satisfied by this, Hyun softly smiled, before he turned around to head back to his room.

Upon arrival, Hyun quickly slid under the covers and looked up to the ceiling Hyun, thinking what his grandfather had said: as much as he wasn't fond of exploring into unfamiliar places, it was a better option than being cooped up in his home all day. That and his family weren't completely done moving into their new home yet, so watching TV, playing video games or using the computer was out of the question. Heading outside was Hyun's only option he had to have any sorts of fun, since he will have the chance to meet new people and possibly make friends as well, though he wasn't so sure about doing the latter. At the same time, though, he wanted to make his grandfather happy and he has give out a few helpful advices now and then, so it wouldn't hurt to go out and have fun.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Hyun closed his eyes, waiting for slumber to take him; after a few more seconds, he was able to drift to sleep. After all, he want to reserve his energy when he gets the chance to go out and explore.

* * *

The sun shined brightly over the horizon, as morning was coming to a close and the afternoon was about to begin on a beautifully clear blue sky, especially on a Sunday. For Craig Williams, a boy who lived close to the creek, any day was just another day of adventuring with his two best friends: JP, Kelsey and her pet companion Mortimer. From waking up early in the morning and eating breakfast to digesting his usual fill of weekend morning cartoons, Craig wasted no time in getting ready for another day at the creek, bidding a hasty farewell to his family, before running towards to his usual hangout, the Stump. About a few minutes later, Craig arrived at his destination, only to find…no one. He instinctively checked the bottom of the stump, certain that his friends were just hanging out, but still found nothing.

"Guess I got here before them," Craig concluded and decided to wait around in the Stump for his friends. A few minutes have passed and they have yet to show up, leaving Craig more concerned than ever.

"Maybe I should check up on them," Craig got up and was about to head out, when his cell phone starts ringing. He quickly pulled it out and looked at the caller ID: It was Kelsey. Without hesitation, Craig instantly answered the call.

"Hey Kelsey where are you and JP? I've been waiting around at the Stump." Craig voiced his concern.

"Sorry about that, Craig," Kelsey answered. "JP and I are at The Trading Tree. There is a huge commotion happening between Jason and a new kid!"

"What new kid?" Craig arched an eyebrow with intrigue.

"Well, I haven't seen his face before and we pretty much know everybody."

"Point taken. I'll be right there."

Ending the call, Craig made the trip o the Trading Tree as fast as his feet could carry him.

After running for what seemed like an eternity, Craig arrived at the the Trading Tree, but was worn out by the time he arrived. Kelsey was the first one to spot him.

"Craig!" she called out and ran towards her friend, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey Kelsey…I'm here," Craig barely spoke, trying to compose himself. "Where's JP?"

Kelsey pointed her sword to the direction where their friend was, prompting Craig to turn around and found JP acting like some sort of peacekeeper, firmly standing between Jason, Tony and Boris, Junior Forest Scouts and an unfamiliar kid, with Jason's friends trying to glare back at the latter with some sort of intimidation; however, the kid in question didn't back down from it. He was quite short, barely matching Kelsey's height and but was at least around either her or Craig's age. His hair, however, was rather distinct compare with everyone else: it was thick and curly, though looked like it was platinum blonde. It also seemed quite long, resulting in it being tied up like a ponytail, with several hair strands braided in the front sitting on his shoulders. In addition, he had golden yellow eyes, had a pale complexion, wore a lavender colored t-shirt, with a navy blue cloth jacket over it, a pair of charcoal jeans and white sneakers.

"That's enough, you two," JP uncharacteristically spoke with a serious tone. "There's no need to call each other names."

"If he hands over the last chocolate bar to me, then maybe I'll apologize," said Jason, a claim that was met by skepticism from some of the kids.

"Yeah right, as if I believe something like that," the new kid bark. "I'm the only one with real money, while you and your so-called friends want to make a trade with only a few rocks."

"You know, I agree," Kit spoke up, before facing down at the Junior Forest Scouts. "It's rare to see someone bringing in actual money and while I do accept a few trades, bringing rocks that are NOT from the Creek are not one of them. Besides, he made his purchase fair and square in the first."

"So it's settled then," the new kid grinned at the Boy Scouts. "Do yourselves a favor and take those rocks you found and throw them back in the river where you got it from."

Jason fumed from hearing his insult, while Boris glared back in response.

"These rocks are not from the creek!" Jason adamantly insisted. "Tell him, Tony!"

"Actually…these rocks are not from the creek. They are from our headquarters," Tony sheepishly admitted.

"Does that makes any difference?" the new kid asked, clearly unimpressed by his Tony's answer.

At this point Jason lost his patience. "That's it! Tony, grab that candy from him."

With that, Tony swiped the candy bar from the kid's hand without warning, much to his shock, as he glared at Tony's direction. "Hey four eyes! Give me back my candy bar!"

"Come on! Don't steal!" JP objected.

"As a member of The Junior Forest Scouts, I have the right to confiscated anything from any kid that isn't a scout." Jason spoke with a mixture of smugness and confidence.

"So? That's doesn't give you the right of being a world class jerk!" The new kid yelled. "Give me back my bar or else I'll gladly take it back by force."

In response to his threats, the Junior Forest Scouts burst into laughters, prompting JP to rush over to the new kid's side.

"I'm sorry about this, but not everyone in the Creek acts like that," he tried to console the new kid, but he wasn't paying any attention to him.

"You?! A nobody that would challenge me?! You must been joking!" Jason dismissively said and continued to laugh loudly, before the new kid marched towards to the older Junior Forest Scout face-to-face.

"Want to repeat that again?" he sternly asked, only for Boris to push him down in response, before towering over the new kid.

"What can a pipsqueak like you do us?" Boris asked.

_"Pipsqueak?'_ The new kid lifted his head up, looking a bit more angrier than usual.

"That was uncalled for!" JP shook his head. "You guys have to stop follow Jason's every whim!" He continued with his argument, until Kelsey and Craig join in, much to his relief. "You came!"

"I'm glad to be here, JP!" Craig happily greet his friend, before turning his attention to the new kid. "Hey, are you okay?"

The new kid, however, didn't respond, still looking at Boris for what seemed like forever. Slowly, but surely, he managed to get himself up and calmly walked towards Boris.

"What do you want this time, pipsqueak?" he asked once more, but was met with only one simple response from the new kid.

"NEVER. CALL. ME. PIPSQUEAK."

"What are you gonna do about it pipsq-" Boris was painfully interrupted when the new kid swiftly but brutally punched him where the sun don't shine, letting out a scream so loud, it practically echoed throughout the Creek, leaving everyone totally speechless.

* * *

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with those jerks!" Kelsey apologized. "If it was me I would gladly have them taste of my blade!"

"Right…" the new kid nonchalantly said.

"I managed to stock on some snacks," JP interjected

"Sweet!" Craig exclaimed.

The trio, along with new kid, were all inside the Stump, simply relaxing and and eating. After witnessing what he had done with Boris, Kelsey was the first person to act, offering her friendship to the new kid, partially to comfort him, but also to calm him down. Despite what she just saw, Kelsey took the kid to their usual hangout and gave him a short tour around, while JP and Craig were calming things down at the Trading Tree. Once the tension died down, everyone continued on with their usual routines, though they have something to talk about for days to come.

Craig and JP ate some chips, while Kelsey had some sour worms. The new kid, however, wasn't in the mood to eat, still upset towards the Junior Forest Scouts.

"So what are your guy's name?" The new kid finally asked.

"I'm Craig." Craig introduced himself lifting his head to make eye contact. "And this is JP and Kelsey…"

"Hey," JP simply greeted.

"It's nice to meet you," Kelsey similarly greeted the new kid

"…And the bird sitting on top of her is Mortimer," Craig pointed to the parrot that was calmly perched on his owner's head. "What's your name?"

"…It's Hyun," the new kid finally responded.

"Hyun…" Kelsey pondered for a moment, before shrugging her shoulders. "Nope, I don't think I recall you before. Are you new here in the Creek?"

"Yes I am." Hyun answered.

"That's what I thought," Kelsey simply said.

"What do you mean?" Hyun asked suspiciously.

"Sorry about that, Hyun," Kelsey sheepishly rubbed her head. "You see, the three of us have been here in the Creek for so long that we are able to memorized every kid that hangs out around here and your the first person I'm not familiar with."

"Trust us, we know almost everyone around here," Craig added.

"This is the first time I ever heard such a name," JP spoke, while munching on a few chips.

"I see," Hyun let out a sigh.

"If you have the time, Hyun, we can show you around the creek," Craig said with a smile.

"Really?" Hyun was surprised but a bit ecstatic. "Are you sure? I don't mean to disrupt your guy's day by showing me around."

"Nonsense!" Kelsey got up on her feet. "My companions would gladly accompanied you while I shall protect you from any foul creature that may bring you harm!" she drew out her makeshift sword like the warrior she envisioned herself to be.

"Kelsey, I can handle myself." Hyun stubbornly insisted. "Who do you think I am? A damsel in distress?!"

"What is a damsel in distress?" JP cluelessly asked.

"You see…" Hyun leaned over to JP and whispered what a damsel in distress was. As soon as he was done, JP blinked for a few seconds, before opening his mouth.

"Wait, ain't damsel in distress is limited to only girls? There shouldn't be damsel in distress for boys then.."

"JP, of course male versions of damsel in distress exist!" Kelsey facepalmed by how clueless JP can be at times.

"Sorry Kelsey! This is just new to me!" JP quickly defended himself.

"Why are you guys are arguing over for something this stupid?" Hyun deadpanned.

"You know, you're right. We got other things to do," Kelsey cleared her throat up. "To the creek we shall explore!"

"Is she always act like this?" Hyun quietly asked Craig.

"You get use to it," Craig replied.

"Great..." Hyun couldn't believe what he just heard, before he sighed and joined up the three kids on the elevator and ascended back up outside the stump to start the tour.

* * *

"What is this?" Hyun couldn't believe what he was looking at: in front of him was a hill, with a large rock sitting on top of it and several torches lighting up the path.

"That Hyun…" Craig began speaking "Is where the Elders Of The Creek reside."

"Elders Of The Creek? What? Are we talking about actual old men and women stay here?!" Hyun asked with confusion.

"Not really," Craig replied "They're teenagers that have been around in the Creek much longer, but they take their roles very seriously! The last thing you want is to get on their bad side."

"Or what? What can a group of teenagers can do to me?! Probably cry in a corner and being useless," Hyun jokingly responded.

"Who's that laughing outside our base?"

The four kids turned their heads and before them was Mark, Berry and David coming out of their grotto.

Kelsey let out a gasp. "It's them! She, Craig and JP bowed before the three disgruntled teenagers, before she turned to Hyun, the only one not bowing down to them. "Hyun, pay your respects!"

"What? I'm not going to do that!." Hyun rebuffed, prompting Kelsey to whack him with her sword, forcing him down onto his knees. "OW! What the heck Kelsey?! I didn't need you to whack my knees from your sword!"

"Shush!" was Kelsey's response, before facing the Elders of the Creek. "Oh great ones, I apologized for my new friend's ignorance. He is new here and we were was just showing this lost puppy around the creek."

"I am not a lost puppy!" Hyun angrily retorted.

"Ignore that." Kelsey quickly countered, prompting Hyun to groan.

"Oh, it's just you three," Mark was the first to speak. He watch the four kids lifted their heads, allowing him to get a better view of their faces. "Wait, that kid has platinum blonde hair…"

"One of the elders are talking about you!" Kelsey gasped.

"Already?" Hyun asked, perplexed by his friend's reaction.

Then it was Barry's turn to look at Hyun. "Hey new kid, we want to speak with you."

Hyun hesitated for a moment, before looking back at Craig, JP and Kelsey, motioning their heads in response. Letting out a sigh, Hyun made his way towards the three teenagers, making his way to the front of the grotto and crossed his arms. "You wanted to speak to me? Well, let's hear it."

Craig, JP and Kelsey eyes widened by Hyun's lack of respect fully displayed in front of the elders.

"We're doomed," Craig gulped.

"For starters…" David kneeled down on Hyun's Level. "Is it true that you assaulted one of the members of the Junior Forest Scouts?" His question prompted Hyun to grin in response.

"So you heard about that? I'm surprised words would so fast. But yeah, I gave him a taste of his own medicine."

"Interesting," Mark formed a smirk while adjusting his glasses. "You seemed like a very strong person for your age. If your willing to assist us with requests, you will be rewarded handsomely."

"Is that so?" Hyun titled his head. "I don't know about taking requests and all, but I just got one question: will I have to fight?"

"Most certainly!" Mark excitedly replied.

"…Okay, I'm in," Hyun happily accepted.

"Excellent!" Mark grinned. "We'll let you know if anything comes."

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it," Hyun casually shrugged.

With their conversation over, The Elders let the four go, allowing them to resume with their tour.

"Wow, can't believe that kid was able to take down someone by using a cheap blow," Barry shook his head. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have him as a lackey?"

"Who cares," Mark casually dismissed his friend's concern.. "Besides, I have the feeling that the kid be the type of person who would use dirty tactics to beat his opponents and that could be useful."

Barry shook his head in disapproval. "I don't like the sound of this…"

"I don't care!" Mark got back inside the grotto. "Now let's resume our session of Dungeons and Dragons!"

* * *

Craig, Hyun, Kelsey and JP continued on the tour. They visited through the several areas of the creek and met the Horse girls, ten speeds, the paintballers and the ninja kids, among others, along the way. The four kids could hear several comments about Hyun standing up to Boris and how he took him down. Hyun didn't seemed bothered by this, but was amazed nevertheless.

"Gee, I'm a bit shocked of how my actions spread fast." Hyun commented. "And I thought the creek was supposed to be big."

"It is, but there are so many kids here that news does hear in all across the creek." Craig assured him.

"Fair enough." Hyun accepted his new friend's answer.

Soon, they reached their next destination. The four kids were standing in front of a large pipe that got dark further inside.

"Are we really going inside there?" Hyun asked with uncertainty. "Do someone really have a base in there?"

"Yes and they are called The Sewer Kids." Craig answered.

"Eww, really?!" Hyun was grossed out by Craig's response. "They hang out in a place as disgus-"

"Hyun, it's not an actual sewer!" Kelsey interrupted. "Trust me, if it was, Mortimer would never sit on top of head again!"

Hyun roll his eyes. "Yeah, I can obviously see that happening to you."

Just then, they hear the sounds of footsteps from inside the pipe. Before long, the source of the noise was getting closer to them; Unfortunately, it wasn't the Sewer Queen herself, but Frisboy, one of her many followers. His demeanor wasn't a happy one,; in fact, it was filled with worrisome and dread.

"Frisboy!" Kelsey ran up towards the bald headed kid. "What's wrong? Where is the sewer queen?"

"She's not here!" Frisboy creid out. "According to the message we received, She is currently under the weather!"

"Under the weather?" JP scratched his head. "What does that mean?"

"It means that she's sick!" Hyun groaned, irritated by his obliviousness. "Geez, is there anything that you do know?!"

Before JP could answer, Craig spoke up first. "Sorry Hyun, looks like we won't get to meet the sewer queen."

"That's fine," Hyun assured him, before they turned around to head back. As the four kids were leaving, Frisboy caught a glimpse of Hyun, seemingly quite intrigued.

'Wait, that kid with the grey hair…is he the one that everyone's talking about…?'

Before the bald boy could say anything, they were already gone, much to his dismay. But he had not time to worry about it, as he hurried back inside the sewer pipe to resume temporary leadership of his group and right now, he can't mope around for any reason.

* * *

"And we're done!" Kelsey finally shouted victorious as if the tour itself was an important quest.

"About time," JP quipped, resting on his back on top of a log and looking up it the sky.

"Thanks for showing me around." Hyun expressed his gratitude.

"Not a problem Hyun." Craig felt happy for helping his new friend out. Hyun awkwardly looked away for a moment, unsure what to say next.

"…So how long do you guys stay out here?"

"We stay here until the timekeeper informed us it's getting late," Craig explained.

"You guys have a timekeeper?" Hyun asked. "Does he or she actually go around the creek and tell them it's getting late, so get lost?"

"Not quite. Beth just blows on her large instrument several times so that everyone in the creek can hear," Craig corrected Hyun.

On cue, the four heard large noise from outside that echoed throughout Creek, lasting a bit longer until they can no longer hear it.

"I'm guessing that was the timekeeper?" Hyun asked.

"The one and only," Kelsey nodded.

"Alright it's time for us to go," Craig got up on his feet. "Hey where do you live? We can walk together Hyun."

"I live a bit further down," Hyun answered, scratching his head. "The distance is quite long, so I won't be able to join you."

"That's fine," Craig accept his answer. "We'll see you next time."

Hyun smiled humorously. "Yeah, I'll see you guys later."

After saying their goodbyes Hyun parted ways with Craig, JP, Kelsey and Mortimer, before they made it out of the creek and went their separate ways.

* * *

After just ten minutes of walking, Hyun was able to safely made his way back home. As he approached the front door of his house, he was greeted by his grandmother sitting nearby the porch.

"Hello Hyun! You finally came back," she happily greeted her grandson.

"Yeah sorry about if I ended up worrying you." Hyun looked at his grandmother as she embraced her grandson.

Contrary to what most people think about grandmothers, Hyun's grandmother was fairly different from them: she had a fair skin tone with little to no wrinkles in sight, dark mocha like eyes and long obsidian black hair with a few grey streaks, pinned back in a net of pearls and silk and a smile that can warm a person's hart. In addition, she was wearing a black t shirt and pair of blue swimming shorts, but was barefooted, having spend her activities in the backyard for some time.

"I see that you went swimming earlier." Hyun noted.

"I sure did, Hyun." his grandmother happily answered. "Your grandfather told me that you might have went to the Creek. How did that go?"

Hyun explained how his day went at the Creek, as they both went inside the house, including how he met and befriended with Craig, JP and Kelsey, much to his grandmother's delight. Since dinner was ready, Hyun didn't have to wait at all and can eat right away which he did. His grandfather had yet to returned, so Hyun and his grandmother just focused with their conversation.

"Oh Hyun, I'm so glad that you were able to make friends," Hyun's grandmother smiled. "I know things are rough between you and your mother and moving in with us, but getting a fresh start will help you get better. It may not happen right away, but it will get better."

Hyun frowned the moment his mother was mentioned, but his time at the Creek was much important than that, choosing not to let that subject ruined his day and focus on the now. After all, it had felt like a long time since he first smiled for a change.

"Yeah, maybe your right grandma," Hyun muttered, as he and his grandmother resume the rest of the night together, looking forward to spending another time at the Creek tomorrow.

**And that will conclude the first chapter. Looks like Hyun's first day at the creek started off bad but ended up on a somewhat good note. But little does Hyun knows is in for an 'interesting' adventure with Craig, Kelsey, JP and Mortimer. Who knows what kind of events would transpired?**

**Anyway hope you enjoyed it. I'll see you next chapter! **


	2. The Competition

**Hey everyone! I'm back with a new chapter. Sorry for the long wait though. **

The afternoon sun shined brightly below the creek on a particularly cool Wednesday and for Craig, JP and Kelsey, it was just another day to look forward for another adventure. The trio were resting in their usual hideout, eating junk food they bought from the trading center and hanging out, all the while waiting for their new friend to show up.

After what seemed like an eternity, Hyun finally arrived letting himself in from the self made elevator.

"Hey there guys," he greeted his friends.

"Hyun!" JP got up and immediately gave Hyun a bear hug, taking him by complete surprise.

"Hey there, Hyun," Kelsey greeted him, as she fed food to Mortimer. "Now that you showed up, we can finally embark on an epic adventure!"

"If only we can find something that is worth going on at the creek," Craig spoke up, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Let's go ask the Elders," JP happily suggested. "Surely they have something for us to do."

Hyun smiled the moment he heard the group's name.

"Good idea! About time I can get a job that allows me to let loose," he grinned, before cracking his knuckles.

"To the Elders' Den we go!" Kelsey got up on her feet and drew her sword upwards.

With this in the mind, the four left their hideout and headed off to the Elders' Den.

* * *

Kids all over the creek were doing their usual thing today: some of them were in their own territories, while others were hanging out at the Trading Tree and as usual, the area was crowded, but Kit wasn't bothered by the large crowd one bit. Since Craig and his friends packed up their own food for today, however, they passed by the trading tree, having got what they needed. After much walking, they finally arrived at the Elders' Den, expecting to meet the teenagers as usual. Instead, however, the four were meet with nothing but an eerie silence, much to their surprise.

"I don't see them anywhere," JP scratched his head, as he looked around.

"Hang on guys. I got this," Craig cautiously approached the the den is and peeked inside for a closer inspection. "Hello?"

He waited for a response, but a few seconds passed by, with no one responding back to the young boy.

"They're really not here," Craig then withdrew his head out of the den and spotted a note on his right.

"What's this?" he quickly grabbed and read the letter:

_To All the residents of the creek, Berry, David and I won't be here at the creek today due to family emergencies. By emergencies, however, I meant Berry got into trouble with his parents and he isn't allowed to leave, while David is taking care of his mom, who is recovering from a rather nasty fall. As for me, I've got a date with destiny, so I can't come to the creek. For anyone that wanted to see us, tough luck! We're not gonna be here today! We will return when we are in the clear from our personal lives!_

_-Sincerely Mark, Leader Of the Elder Creek._

"That explains their absence," Craig quipped, before walking back to his friends. "Guys, I'm afraid I got some bad news."

"What is it?" Kelsey asked, before Craig showed the note to her, JP and Hyun. As soon as the trio took a look at the not, they expressed their disappointments.

"So much for looking forward to an adventure," JP spoke up.

"Are you kidding me!?" Hyun kicked a nearby rock in frustration. "How I'm going to release all this energy with Dum, Dumb and Dumber out of the picture?!"

"Don't insult the Elders, Hyun!" Kelsey promptly whacked Hyun's head with her signature makeshift sword.

"I like to give people nicknames. There's nothing wrong with that," Hyun defended his action, before glaring at Kelsey. "Also, stop hitting me with your sword!"

"Show some respect and I might have reconsidered," Kelsey glared back in response.

_"Might?"_ Hyun mockingly asked. "What am I to you? Your own personal punching bag whenever I do something wrong?!"

"You are my personal squire and all you have been doing is being disrespectful and mean to others!" Kelsey called Haru out.

"How is giving nicknames considered disrespectful?" Haru countered. "Secondly, I'm not your squire!"

But just as things were about to get heated, JP quickly made his way between the two and put both arms up in front of them, ceasing their arguments.

"Okay guys, break it up."

"Come on, you guys. Let's head back to the Trading Tree," Craig motioned his arm to his friends, before they turned around and headed back to the creek.

* * *

"Here you go Hyun. Four grape flavored juice boxes." Kit happily presented them in front of Hyun.

"Thank Kit," Hyun expressed appreciation, before handing her a five dollar bill. "You can keep the change as well."

Kit was quite pleased to accept actual money for a change, as oppose to the usual rocks or coin, before bidding Hyun adieu, as he headed back to his friends and gave them their drinks, before they discussed their next plan for today.

"I can't believe we haven't found anything we can do in the creek today!" Hyun groaned in dismay.

"Well, we could always ask around the other kids in the creek if they needed our help," JP suggested.

Craig, though, looked at JP and shook his head in disapproval, much to the older boy's disappointment. Just then, they heard their names being called out from a distance.

"Craig, JP, Hyun and Kelsey!" The four turned around and spotted a girl with light brown hair, wearing a black colored safety helmet, gray and black shoulder pads, skinny jeans with a white shirt that has the number four on it. It was none other than Handlebarb, leader of the 10 Speeds, a group of kids known for their fondness of doing dangerous and extreme stunts.

"Hey Handlebarb!" JP greeted her, as he got up and ran towards her, with his friends following him.

"Hey guys. What have you been up to today?" asked Handelbarb, displaying her usual smile.

"H-Hey Handlebarb…" Hyun bashfully greeted the biker. "...W-We're just stumped because we got nothing to do today."

"If that's the case do you want to come with me? My friends and I are going to the skate park not too far from here," Handelbarb suggested.

"What skate park…" Kelsey paused for a moment, before it took a few seconds to recall what Handlebarb was talking about . "Oh yeah, I remember now and sure, I don't mind."

"That's a great idea!" Craig agreed.

"But we don't have any skateboards or safety gears," Hyun pointed out.

Handlebarb casually waved her hand. "You can rent them. The skate park has a rent a center."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" JP smiled.

The kids cheered in joy and began to make their way to their destination. Hyun, though, was far from thrill of today's plan.

"Of all places to go, why did it HAVE to be the skatepark?!" Hyun shouted.

"Hey Hyun, are you coming?" Craig called his friend out.

"…Yeah, I'm coming!" Hyun hesitantly replied, before following his friends.

* * *

Located several blocks way from Kelsey's home, Ramona Skatepark was packed with many visitors: most of them were riding the numerous half pipes and ramps, some were with their instructors learning how to ride on their skateboards, bikes or rollerblades, while others were relaxing at the snack bar, listening to the music or watching tv, as well as enjoying their snacks and enjoying the cool breeze from the sky.

As soon as Craig and his friends arrived at the skatepark, Hyun's jaw dropped at the mere scope and size of the skatepark.

"Wow," was all he could muttered out.

"Cool, isn't it?" Handlebarb asked, amused by Hyun's reaction. "Come, I'll show you guys around."

The gang wasted following Handlebarb to the rental shop. Upon their arrival, they came across three kids waiting at the rental shop: a boy of average height, with dark skin tone and curly black hair, wearing purple glasses, a turquoise sleeveless shirt, yellow and red pants and long red shoes, a boy of short stature with light skin tone and brown hair, wearing light blue helmet a red shirt with a yellow stripe in the middle, dark green torn pants and brown shoes and a boy who was a bit tall and had a similar dark skin tone like the first kid, wearing a silver helmet that covered his head, a black shirt with blue long pants and brown shoes. As soon as Handlebarb saw them, she smiled and happily greeted the trio.

"Hey guys, sorry it took so long."

"No biggie, Handlebarb," Warpspeed assured her, before noticing Craig and his friends. "They're joining in?"

"That's right" Handlebarb gave her friends a thumbs up.

"That's so cool," Todd happily said, with Cannonball nodding in approval

"Glad you guys don't mind," Handlebarb smiled, before facing the four. "First things first, we need to suit up."

The 10 Speeds escorted Craig and his friends to the rental booth to get their equipment's, before being greeted by a young female staff member, with brown hair tied in a short ponytail, black eyes and freckles, wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and grey and white high-tops shoes.

"Hey there, Handlebarb. Has your day has been good?" She happily greeted the whole group.

"You know it, Ann," Handlebab responded with a cocky smile. "A few of my friends decided to join us today."

It was then that Ann noticed Craig and his friends right besides Handlebarb, before she smile, nodded and approached the four kids. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi Miss!" JP happily greeted Ann. "I would like to get myself a pair of skates."

"Hang on just a moment," Ann went in the back, returning a minute with a flaming colored pair of roller skates. "Here you go, kid!"

"Whoa, Thank you!" JP was awestruck by the pair of roller-skates, as Ann handed them over to him.

"Now what do you want to get?" Ann turned her attention to Kelsey.

"Why, a skateboard, of course," she replied with confidence, just as Ann handed her a skateboard on the spot.

"Just got this one today," Ann said, as she allowed Kelsey to observe the skateboard she had just received: the board was of an obsidian color, decorated with a nice picture of a castle on a meadow field in the sunset and the wheels were nicely polished giving it a nice shiny glow and on the back of was a picture of a weapon gallery, ranging from swords to flails.

"This. Is. AWESOME!" Kelsey shouted with joy, before getting her protective gears and joined up with JP

"I'll have a scooter," Craig informed Ann, who promptly handed a silver and blue scooter, with the handles and wheels being navy blue.

"One scooter ready to go," Ann smiled.

"Thank you." Craig thanked her and after getting his protective gears, joined up with his friends, leaving Hyun by himself.

"And what about you kid?" Ann asked.

"I'll…come back a bit later." Hyun eventually answered.

"I don't blame you for being so overwhelmed. Whenever you feel ready, you know where to find me," Ann happily informed Hyun.

"Thanks." Hyun thanked Ann, before joining up with his friends, just as they were finishing up putting on their protective gears.

"All right!" Todd proudly stood up and pointed at the tall half pipe."I'm gonna conquer you, so you better watch out!"

"How are you gonna own that halfpipe? Ask it out and take it out to dinner?" Hyun snickered at Todd's behavior, prompting Kelsey to whack him once. "OW! Are you serious Kelsey!?"

'Never insults someone's determination! Because without determination nobody will ever obtain their dreams and forever their life would be nothing but despair, boredom and misery,' Kelsey monologued her thoughts, all the while glaring at Hyun.

"Hey, don't you go into inner monologue mode on me Kelsey!" Hyun called her out, just as JP broke the tension between the two.

"Excuse me, but do you know the bathroom is?" He asked Handlebarb.

"It on the left side where the snack bar is." Handlebarb answered, as JP nodded and quickly rushed to the bathroom, before she turned her attention back to her friends.

"Last one to the half pipe is a rotten egg!" Handlebarb declared, as she raced towards the half pipe, with the rest of her friends not far behind. Craig was about to join in on the fun, before he turned around and saw Hyun wasn't participating with them.

"Hyun, are you okay?" he asked, as Hyun shook his head in response. "You're coming to join us right?"

"I'm gonna hang at the snack for a bit before joining you guys." Hyun calmly answered.

"Well okay, you know where we are just in case you forget or get lost," Craig merely shrugged to his answer.

Hyun simply nodded and waved at his friend, as he watched Craig joined up with the rest of the group, before making his way towards the snack bar, ordering a medium size chili cheese fries and a can of soda, before finding a nearby seat to sit down and watch TV. He then looked at the group, watching Handlebarb,Todd, Cannonball and Warpspeed riding down the halfpipe, while Craig, Kelsey and JP followed shortly afterwards, the latter having just caught up with his friends. Hyun continued to watch his friends, before he letting out a heavy sigh. He knew that he shouldn't be sitting on the sidelines; in fact, he should be with his friends on the half pipe and impressing them instead. Hyun, however quickly shook with his head from such thoughts. He couldn't pull them in real life even if he wanted to.

Hyun finished his meal as much as possible, before he made his way back to the rental center, just in time for Ann to greet Hyun with a smile.

"Hey there kid. "Ready to decide?" after scrolling up the inventory, Hyun looked at Ann, his mind made up.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

* * *

"Thank you for inviting us Handlebarb. We had a great time," Craig praised her.

"Not a problem, Craig," Handlebarb let out a chuckle. "I'll admit, I never thought you were able to ride scooter so well."

"Hehe, thanks. I used to have one, but I have grown out of it. Jessica owns one as well, but she rarely uses it," Craig nervously laughed and bashfully rubbed his right arm

"Mortimer and I had was able to pull off a few tricks," Kelsey spoke up.

"Last time I check, kick-flips and ollies aren't considered tricks." Kelsey turned around and saw Hyun marching towards them, covered in scratches and a slightly bloody nose, much to everyone's shock.

"Whoa! What happened to you, Hyun?!" asked a shocked JP, earring him a glare in response.

"None of your business!" Hyun snapped back.

"Geez Hyun! No need to be grouchy!" JP wearily said.

"Whatever, I'll see you guys later," Hyun simply said, before turning around and headed back.

"What's his deal?" Handlebarb pondered, still shock by Hyun's injuries.

"I'm not sure myself," Craig also wondered what happened, as he took out his phone and looked at the time . "Oh no, almost six!"

"My sister is getting pizza tonight! I can't miss this!" JP panicked.

"And Mortimer and I need to head home~" Kelsey added. "My dad is ordering takeout and I promise that I'll be back home on time!"

"Looks like we gotta go now, Handlebarb!" Craig informed her. "Bye now.

"See you later, Craig!" Handelbarb waved back, as Craig, Kelsey and JP began to head out "Alright guys, let's head on home."

With that, she and her friends began to head back home as well to get some rest until tomorrow comes.

* * *

"Where is Hyun?" JP asked.

"He should be here by now, Craig," Kelsey noted. "Did Hyun ever say that he would be absent today?"

"Not that I know of," Craig admitted.

"Why don't we just call him?" Kelsey suggested.

"I don't think Hyun has a cellphone," Craig answered, much to Kelsey's chagrin.

"Well that's just great!" Kelsey complained, while Craig just took a seat on a blue bean bag and continued to wait.

Today was Tuesday and it was a pretty sunny so far as well. Ever since they went to the skatepark with Handblebarb and her gang a week ago, Hyun was showing up to the creek less frequently. On the occasions that he does show up, Hyun would give Craig and his friends some random excuses, whether he was sick or helping his grandparents, claiming that he "wasn't feeling the mood to go outside".

At first, Craig and the gang just accepted it without pushing the issue further, but as the weeks went by, they were sensing off about their new friend.

"Do you think something happened to his family?" Craig asked.

"Beats me, but I wish I knew," JP sadly replied.

"Whatever it is, it's not our business, but yeah, I hope he's doing alright," even though Kelsey didn't approve of Hyun's behavior, she still felt bad for him nevertheless.

But just then, the trio heard a familiar voice above their hideout.

"CRAIG! JP! KELSEY!" It was Handlebarb. Craig and the gang immediaely got up and opened the entrance, coming face to face with Handlebarb and her gang, looking rather concern.

"Hey there Handlebarb. What's with the worried look?" Craig asked.

"Hey there Craig," Handlebarb greeted him. "It's about Hyun."

"What? You know where Hyun is?! Tell us!" JP demanded.

"Calm down," Handlebarb said, as JP rubbed his head sheepishly for his behavior, before she continued. "He's at the skatepark, right now but he's not looking good."

"What do you mean?" Kelsey asked.

"It's best that I show you guys about it in person," Handlebarb replied.

"Lead the way then," said Craig, as he, JP and Kelsey hastily followed 10 Speeds to the skatepark.

* * *

"WHAT AM I DOING WRONG HERE?!" Hyun shouted in frustration.

"Kid, I think that you are not cut out of riding a bike," a concerned employee called out to him. "Maybe try something-"

"NO! I can do this!" Hyun insisted.

Hyun has never felt this much physical pain before in his life, the only exception being an unfortunate incident involving him and his mom. Just thinking about THAT moment was enough to leave him shuddered in fear; it was the worst moment in his life, but did his best to ignore it as much as possible, acting like the whole situation never happened. The injuries he was dealing with were rather serious: several scabs of skin removed on his right arm bleeding, his left leg was aching in pain, while his right leg which was covered with similar scabs, with his left arm being the only part of his body in good condition, but even Hyun could feel a bit of fatigue weighing down on it, along with the rest of his body. Gritting his teeth, he got back up on his feet and grabbed the bicycle, but just as he was about to ride, he heard a familiar voice.

"Hyun!" It was JP voice. Hyun instantly turned around and saw Craig, JP, Kelsey, Handlebarb and her friends running towards him.

"Wha..? Craig?! Handlebarb?! What are you guys doing here?" a shocked Hyun demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing Hyun!" Craig countered with a serious tone.

"What's going on Hyun?" Kelsey demanded.

"Why have you been avoiding us?" JP asked, before noticing Hyun's injuries "Why are you covered in bruises, scraps and blood?! Is someone bullying you?!"

"Hyun, tell me thy name that is making you distressed so I can find and smite them!" Kelsey took out her makeshift sword, ready to hunt down any potential punks.

"THERE IS NO BULLY THAT IS MESSING WITH ME!" A frustrated Hyun shouted. "All of these wounds you see here were self-inflicted!"

For what felt like the longest time, there was nothing but silence. Finally, Handlebarb spoke up, if only to break the silence between them.

"Well, it seems that you guys need some privacy, so I'll be taking my leave."

"No, we're okay, but thanks for th-" was all Craig said, before Hyun put his hand over his mouth.

"Actually, we do need some privacy, Handlebarb," Hyun quickly said.

"Okay, I'll leave you guys to it," she accepted, as Hyun nervously waved and watched her and her friends turned around and left the scene, before he uncovered Craig's mouth. "Good, she's gone."

Hyun walked towards the bike that was laying on the ground and got it back up, but before he could get on his bike, one of the employees stopped him.

"You're NOT getting back on that bike, kid!" A male staff member went up to Hyun with a concerned expression. "You've been falling on the ground constantly for the past two hours. I think it's high time you take a b-"

"I have to get good at riding a bike! I have to! Hyun stubbornly insisted.

"Take a good look and yourself!" The male staff member scolded the boy. "You're covered in wounds and you're in no state to ride a bike, let alone performing tricks!"

"Like a few scratches will stop me!" Hyun remained defiant, to the male staff member's chagrin.

"UGH! This is hopeless!" He turned to Craig and the gang for assistance. "Are you his friends? Please talk some sense to him."

"I think I got this," JP made his way towards Hyun and gently put his hand on his shoulder"Now Hyun, buddy, let's go back to the creek so we can talk."

"Get out of my way," Hyun snapped back, prompting JP to backed away from such a sharp response.

"Hyun, I don't know what's gotten into you, but forget about and let's just return to the hideout," Craig did his best to calm him down.

For a moment, Hyun stared at Craig, the latter uncertain what the former was about to do and embraced whatever was about to happen. Eventually, Hyun sighed and glared at Craig, before he sprinted to the entrance, taking off his helmet and protective pads and threw them to the ground, not bothering to put them away.

"Hyun, wait!" JP called out for him, before chasing after him, with Craig and Kelsey following him shortly afterwards. Before long, all four kids reached their hangout and sat on their respective seats. For a while, the room was eerily quiet; Craig, JP, Kelsey and Hyun remained quiet, patient and exchanging looks between each other. Finally, after what he felt like an eternity, Hyun finally let out a sigh and spoke.

"Sorry I was being stubborn earlier."

"That's an understatement!" Kelsey exclaimed.

"Yeah, what was that about?" JP chimed in.

"Well…" Hyun paused for a moment, unsure what to say to his friends.

"It's alright, Hyun, you can tell us." Craig assured him. Hyun let out a big sigh, before responding once more.

"Tthe reason I was acting that way was because I want to improve my skills on a bike. But I was having trouble landing some moves without messing up."

"That was it?" Kelsey arched an eyebrow, as she was surprised by Hyun's reasons.

"That would explain why you were away for a long time…" Craig began. "But Hyun, there's nothing to be embarrassed about not being able to land a few tricks."

"It's not like it'll be the end of the world if you can't land a trick or two," JP agreed.

"JP's right, Hyun. Try not to let that get to you." Kelsey added, just as Hyun cracked a small smile, which pleased her.

"Yeah, your right. I didn't know why I was so stressed out about something so minor."

Before long, Hyun let out a chuckle, with Craig, Kelsey and JP chuckling alongside with him. For the rest of the afternoon, the four of them stayed at their hideout, simply relaxing and talking with each other. Eventually, JP headed out to the trading tree and later came back with some snacks, which Hyun gave him ten dollars in response, as JP, as well as Craig and Kelsey appreciated his generosity.

Sure enough, time flew by pretty fast and before anyone knew it, the timekeeper blew her horn for everyone to hear, signifying the end of the day.

"Oh man it's already six?!" JP yelped, as he quickly got up onto his feet.

"Looks like it," Hyun slowly got on his feet, before he and his friends went onto the elevator and headed up to the exit.

"Wait, I forgot to tell you this, Hyun," Kelsey spoke up, as if she had just remembered something. "Handlebarb invited us to the skatepark this Friday. She's going to participate in some competition. You wanna come with us?"

"Really now?" Hyun nervous laughed. "Uh, sure i'll be there! There's no way I'll missed Handlebarb owning the floor!"

"If you say so then," Craig simply said. "Anyway, see you guys later."

Once the four made their way out of the creek, they parted ways and headed back to their respective homes.

* * *

Although covered in scabs, dry blood and scratches he received from the skatepark, Hyun was able to make it back home on time, as he opened the door and went in, expecting to be greeted by his grandparents, or at the very least, his grandmother; instead, he was greeted with silence.

"Hello!" Hyun called out, waiting for a response, but received nothing.

"Grandma?!" Hyun called out again, but still no response. "Looks like she's not here."

Just then, his stomach growled and Hyun decided to make his way to the kitchen. As he made his way to the fridge, he spotted a note posted on it, grabbed it and read it:

_Dear Hyun,_

_Your grandfather and I had to go out and run some important errands, so I made you dinner early and left it in the microwave. We'll see you back in around eight or nine._

_Love, Your grandmother._

Once he finished reading the note, Hyun opened the microwave and spotted his dinner: fried pork chops, red potatoes with garlic flavored, brown rice topped with sriracha, broccoli and two sweet butter rolls on the side.

Hyun warmed up his dinner and after about thirty seconds, he took them out and head to the living room and watched TV. As he watched some random cartoons, Hyun couldn't help but think of how today turned out. He wished that he could be happy and proud of being able to impress his friends and more importantly, Handlebarb. He wanted to impress her so much, he sacrificed so much time going to the skate park rather than hanging out with his new friends.

While he wanted to continued to improve, he also felt a bit bad for leaving Craig, JP and Kelsey in the dark. However, he also feared that they would make fun of him for his inability to bike, roller blade, skateboard or even using a scooter.

Hyun spend the last few days at the skatepark practicing on all four, hoping to at least improve on one of the sports equipment's. Much to his own dismay, none of them were able to click with him and all of them lead to the same result: falling out and tumbling to the ground.

"AUGH!" Hyun groaned. "At this rate, they're gonna know how terrible I am!"

He slumped in his chair in despair; he promised to his friends that he would be there at the competition and he really wanted to go and support Handlebarb, but he couldn't motivate himself to go without disappointing them.

Hyun managed to finish his dinner, in spite of losing some of his appetite, but he wasn't in the mood to do anything else except go upstairs and into to his bedroom. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by the warm air filling up the room, courtesy to the heater, making his room comfortable, as Hyun took off his shoes and jumped face first on his bed. Letting out a frustrated groan, Hyun closed his eyes so he could go to sleep…after ten long minutes.

* * *

"Hey, I see Hyun!" JP shouted, pointed at him for his friends to see.

Ramona Skatepark was crowded with many people, more so than usual, for the long awaited competition had finally arrived. Everyone from all over North Herkleston showed up, either as contestants or spectators. The line was quite long, stretching all the way to a block or two, all wanting to check out the main event.

"Hey guys. Sorry if I made you wait. I had to help out my grandfather with a few things." Hyun greeted, breathing heavily from all the running, before noticing the large group of people that have all gathered. "Wow, this place is crowded."

"Of course, Hyun. Every kid on the block comes here and sees who is the best!" Kelsey exclaimed.

"Is that so?" Hyun nervously said, gripping hard on his black gym bag.

"Handlebarb and her friends are already inside," Kelsey explained. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer."

Craig, Hyun, Kelsey, Mortimer and JP made their way to the front entrance, handing out their tickets that Handlebarb managed to get for them, before they were able to make their way inside, skipping the line entirely, much to their relief. They then observed the skatepark, heading towards their seats; there wasn't a single empty spot in sight, for the staff was sure they were all taken and having anticipated such a huge crowd, they have at least 20 people with them: 7 being cashiers, 8 handing the foods and with the 5 remaining members on standby to assist getting everything at a nice and steady pace.

"Are you sure the staff can fit everyone in?" Hyun wondered.

"I'm pretty sure they can, dude. They did it before."

Hyun recognized the voice immediately, as he and his friends turned around and saw Handlebarb, Warpspeed, Todd and CannonBall.

"Oh, h-hey Handlebarb," Hyun nervously greeted her. "I see that your read to owned everyone that is challenging you."

You know it dude. So glad you guys are here," Handlebarb gave Hyun a thumbs up.

"O-of course," Hyun muttered. " As If I could miss this big event."

Kelsey couldn't help but stare at Hyun, weirded out by his behavior; whenever he was near Handlebarb, his confidence and cocky demeanor was quickly replaced by uneasiness and nervousness. Seeing Hyun's sudden change in demeanor prompted Kelsey to wonder about this: either he was shy around girls or that he had a small crush on Handlebarb. Thinking about this, though, was starting to strain her head a bit.

'This is so confusing and frustrating! I should just talk to Hyun about this!' Kelsey thought, wanting to get some answer out of him. But for now, she had a competition to attend and a friend to support.

The gang took their seats at the snack bar, wanting a quick access to some foods, as well as getting to the bathrooms very quickly.

"Alright guys, I'm heading to the ramp," Handlebarb said. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck out there," said Craig.

"You got the skills to back it up!" Kelsey added.

"Have fun too," JP smiled.

Handlebarb smiled by their praises, as she made her way to the ramp, where the other contestants were there. While they waited for the competition to start, JP, Craig and Kelsey decided to get in line to buy food for the show, while Hyun got up on his feet, looked around for a moment, before approaching JP.

"JP, I have to do something real quick. I'll be back, okay?"

"Alright Hyun," JP simply replied, as he watched his friend going to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, the staff went up to the front of the crowd, explaining the competition to them and eventually, displaying the prizes on the main screen:

_10th-4th place= $25 Gift card_

_3rd place-Mini Pretendo_

_2nd place-40 Inch HD TV_

_1st place- $500_

The crowd were both awed and excited at the prizes shown in the screen, while the participants felt more motivated than ever after seeing the prizes for themselves.

"Five hundred dollars?!" JP screamed in shock. "With that kind of money, I can buy like a thousand pizzas!

"Go Handlebarb!" Kelsey cheered. "Win that five hundred to so we can have a thousand pizzas!"

"Yeah! Win this one for us!" Craig shouted, before noticing Hyun's absence. "Hey, where is Hyun?"

"He had to do something." JP simply replied.

"Again? What's with Hyun always disappearing when something happens?!" Kelsey complained.

"Hey, I'm sure Hyun has his reasons for his disappearances." JP defended his action, to which Kelsey and Craig reluctantly let it slide, as they waited for Handlebarb and the rest of the competitors to get the competition going.

* * *

"That was pretty amazing!" The announcer cheered. "Give it up for Jessie for wrapping up with a nice 360!"

The crowd roared from a spectacular performance that Jessie provided for them, including Kelsey, Criag, JP, and Handlebarb's gang.

"Wow, these guys are so cool landing those neat tricks!" Craig exclaimed, awestruck by what he witnessed.

"My favorite part is that girl doing a handstand while she was moving on her skateboard," Said JP, taking a bite out of his chicken sandwich.

"Heh, that's an easy trick to pull off," Cannonball boasted

"Even I can do that!" Todd added out loudly.

"Only after you fell on your face for about the hundredth time," Warpspeed pointed out, holding back his laughter.

"Ah shut up!" A huge blush appeared across his face, causing the gang to chuckle at his embarrassment.

"Hyun hasn't returned yet!" Kelsey suddenly realized.

"Now that you mention it, he hasn't shown up since the game started," Craig noted, looking around for him.

"I'll go look for him," JP got up and headed off to the restroom, leaving the rest of the gang alone to watch the tournament, as another contestant showed up.

"Why is this kid wearing a mask?" Kelsey asked.

"Maybe it's part of the kid's character," Craig shrugged, as Kelsey arched an eyebrow in response. "I mean, you know how wrestlers wear costumes and masks to play as different characters?"

"Like roleplaying!" Kelsey concluded.

"Yeah, just like that," Craig simply nodded, much to Kelsey's delight.

Everyone took a good look at the mysterious contestant, who was wearing an oni mask and a red colored cape, getting into position, before taking off, with the whole crowd expecting another spectacular display of tricks.

From the top of the ramp, the contestant zoomed down on the bike at breakneck speed, accompanied by a scream. As soon they were launched into the air, the contestant desperately tried to reunite with the bike, eventually descending and grabbed onto both handlebars, landing down on the ground in the nick of time, as the obvious crowd cheered on some relieved by their close call. Now feeling a bit confident, the masked contestant continued to press forward through the competition.

On the next jump, however, the oni masked contestant attempted what appeared to be a backflip, as the audience anticipated for what was about to happen next; instead, they were horrified when the they hit face first on the pavement, followed by the bike crashing on top of them, with the front tire landing on their face and for a moment, there was silence in the atmosphere.

"OH! That's gotta hurt! But there's still time left, so get up!" the announcer interjected, attempting to alleviate everyone's fear.

The crowd waited for the oni masked contestant to get up and resume; after a few minutes, they grew concerned, as the masked contestant remained on the ground. Eventually, one of the staff members ran towards the mysterious contestant and checked to see if everything was okay. The staff member observed for a moment, before taking off the mask, revealing…Hyun's face.

Craig and Kelsey spit out their drinks, while Warpspeed and Todd's jaw dropped, with Cannonball's eyes widened in disbelief, just as JP finally returned from his search.

"I can't find Hyun anywhere!" JP shouted, just as he spotted his friend. "Guys! I finally found him!"

* * *

"Ugh…" Hyun groaned, just as lifted his face and saw everyone staring at him.

"Hey guys! He's awake!" JP stated the obvious.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Craig expressed his relief, as Hyun simply nodded, until he touched his face and noticed his mask was no there, much to his dismay.

"I-I-I can explain!" a panicked stricken Hyun replied.

"That explanation better be about why did you enter the contest without telling us, especially in that getup?" Kelsey confronted Hyun.

'Ugh.' Hyun thought, as he facepalmed. 'Why did it come to this?'

He took a deep breath, before giving out his explanation to everyone.

"…Fine. The reason I wore this costume is because-"

"To roleplay, of course!" Kelsey interjected, cutting Hyun off.

"Uh..Yeah, it was for me to roleplay," Hyun gave Kelsey a fake smile.

Kelsey looked quite pleased by this, while everyone else remained unconvinced by his explanation.

"Anyway. I need to get up and get back into the competition," Hyun calmly said, as he got up and attempted to reach his bike.

"Whoa there, buddy," JP put his hand on Hyun's shoulder. "You got hurt just now! You shouldn't be playing after that."

"Plus, the competition is over, dude" Handlebarb informed. Hyun

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I WAS OUT THAT LONG?! DANGIT!" Hyun shouted, before stomping on the ground, only to hurt himself in the process. "OW!"

"Baby steps first, Hyun," JP stated with an unusual serious tone to his voice.

Hyun rolled his eyes to JP's response, but it matter little to him. The competition was over and despite his best effort, he wasn't able to perform any cool tricks that would have impressed his friends, especially after his spectacular failure in front of everyone.

"Hyun, are you alright?" Craig asked, but he received no response, before he turned his attention to Handlebarb. "My friends and I can take it from here. You guys can go on without us."

"Alright. I'll see you guys later then," Handlebarb and her friends bid Craig, Kelsey and JP a farewell, as they went back home, leaving them and Hyun by themselves.

"She left, Hyun, so you can tell us." Craig informed him.

"…Alright fine I'll tell you, but let's get out of here," Hyun eventually spoke.

"Okay, but if you need any help, tell us next time," said Kelsey.

"Okay," was all Hyun said, before the four left the skatepark altogether and began the long walk back to the creek.

* * *

"….And that's my reason for joining the competition."

Hyun had just finished wrapping up his explanation to his friends of his intentions, why he went through with it and the risk he took, despite his lack of talents, as Craig, Kelsey and JP listened intently to their friend for what felt like a very long time.

"Hyun, you didn't have to go through that much trouble," Craig finally spoke up.

"I know, but I just wanted to impress everyone," Hyun confessed.

"So what if you can't skate, ride a bike or rollerblade? That doesn't matter," said Kelsey.

"But now everyone knows who I am! I'll be the laughing stalk of the entire creek!" Hyun shouted in despair.

"Come on, it can't be that bad," JP casually dismissed Hyun's claim, earning him a glare from the latter.

"Even if that's the case ,we'll defend you from anyone that would make fun of you," Kelsey promised.

"It's not the end of the world, Hyun…" Craig began. "Come on, let's call it a day and meet up at our usual spot."

"Alright, you have a point, Craig," Hyun accepted his friend's explanation. "I'll see you guys later."

"Will you be okay heading back by yourself?" a concerned JP asked.

"I'll be fine," Hyun assured him, as he began making his way back home. Unfortunately due to his injuries, he had to walk with a limp, making the trip back home a bit longer than usual. He tried to pretend that his injuries were nothing and despite stumbling around, he eventually continued onwards, eventually disappearing from the trio's sight, though they remained concern for him nevertheless.

"I'll…see you guys later," Craig bid his friends his farewell.

"Goodnight, you guys," Kelsey also bid her friends her farewell.

"Night!" JP waved at them, before they went their separate ways and calling it another day.

* * *

"Come on, where is Hyun?" Kelsey complained, waiting impatiently for him to show up at the creek.

"Kelsey, he's gonna come," JP assured her.

"He better come or I'll have him taste my blade!" She vowed

"Not in a million years will I have to taste ANYTHING coming from you!"

Craig, JP and Kelsey turned around and saw Hyun slowly making his way to them, much to their relief.

"Glad for you to be here, Hyun," Craig smiled.

"Of course I came," Hyun playfully rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't want to leave you guys hanging again."

"That's good," said Kelsey. "As expected from you, my squire, you should always listen to your master."

"Kelsey, I'm not in the mood to deal with your monologues right now," Hyun warned, as he got right into Kelsey's face. "Also, I am not your squire!"

"Anyway, now that you're here, let's head to the trading tree," JP quickly suggested.

"I'm down with that," Hyun agreed.

"Good idea," Craig nodded his head.

"Mortimer and I could use some snacks," Kelsey added.

The gang made the trip to the Trading Tree, eventually arriving to an empty line, so they were able to make it to the counter without any issues.

"Hey guys!" Kit greeted the gang. "What will it be today?"

"I'll have myself a can of soda," Hyun requested.

"A bag of chips," JP replied.

"A popsicle," Kelsey spoke up.

"Make that two." Craig added.

"Here you go guys," said Kit, quickly retrieving the requested items for the four.

"Here you go," Hyun got out a five dollar bill and handed it to Kit. "Will that be enough?"

"More than enough!" A grateful Kit replied. "Thank you Hyun! Keep this up and you'll become my favorite customer!"

"Good to know," Hyun couldn't help but chuckled.

The gang grabbed their food and made their way back to the hangout, until the Junior Forest Scouts appeared in front of them.

"Halt!" Jason ordered the gang.

"We got no time for you and your lame group right now!" Hyun dismissed him.

"What do you guys want?" Craig calmly asked..

"Nothing from you three…" Jason answered, before turning to Hyun. "…But I got something that you want to see."

"Like what? More rocks you want to show me? No thanks," Hyun dismissed him.

"Ha! It's more in line with you having tasted the concrete," Jason smugly replied, before pulling out his smartphone.

"What are you talking about…" Hyun trailed off when he saw a video recording of him falling face first to the ground in front of the audience.

Craig and Kelsey were shocked by this, while JP held Hyun's arms as best as possible, clearly wanting to beat the scouts up.

"DELETE THAT!" Hyun angrily demanded.

"Oh no, I'm gonna keep this," Jason merely smirked. "So I can use it to make you submit."

"Blackmailing?! That's low!" Craig objected.

"Why didn't you stop him from filming, Boris?" JP scolded the large boy, who promptly looked away, cleared ashamed by his actions.

"Now with this, we can have them do whatever we wanted them to do," Tony said, adjusting his glasses with glee. "And should they refuse, we can show this video to the whole creek!"

Jason and Tony laughed, causing Hyun to wrestle out of JP's arms, with Kelsey taking out her makeshift sword, only to be restrained by Craig, while Mortimer glaring at the three boys and Boris still avoiding eye contact.

"Now then…" Jason began. "…I think I got a request."

"Forget it! I'm not taking orders from you!" Hyun refused.

"Is that so? Alright then I'll just show everyone this video," Jason gloated loudly, only for the phone to be snatched from his hand immediately. "Hey!"

"Looking for this?" A familiar face spoke. Everyone recognized the voice almost immediately.

"Handlebarb!" Craig happily shouted.

"In the flesh!" Handlebarb greeted him, alongside Todd, Warpspeed and Cannonball.

"Give me back my phone!" Jason angrily demanded, outrage by Handlebarb's interference.

"Oh, I'll give it back to ya, right after I delete this video," Handlebarb calmly turned to Cannonball. "Would you like to do the honor?"

"With pleasure," Cannonball took the phone and within a few seconds, promptly deleted the video on the spot, making sure Hyun's embarrassing moment was gone for good.

"There! That should teach you a lesson on trying to blackmail other kids," Handlebarb warned the Junior Forest Scouts.

"ARGH!" Jason angrily grabbed his phone. "Just you wait Hyun! You've gotten lucky this time, but I will have my revenge!"

The boys left in defeat, leaving just Craig, Kelsey, Mortimer, JP, Hyun, Handlebarb and her crew by themselves.

"Thank you for saving our bacons, or rather Hyun's bacon," JP expressed his gratitude.

"No problem. We couldn't let those lame scouts bully the new kid," Warpspeed smiled.

"Yeah man, that's just the lowest of the low," Todd agreed.

"Anyway, we're heading to the skatepark. You guys can come with us if you like," Cannonball informed the group.

"Sounds cool, but I think we're going to decline," Craig politely turned down the offer. Handlebarb looked at Hyun, before looking at Craig and nodded.

"Okay then, but I'll see you guys later," she said, before turning her attention to Hyun. "Don't worry if you're unable to ride a bike, skate or roller blade. If you keep practicing, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Just try not to let the humiliation get to you."

Hyun remained silent for a moment and didn't look at Handlebarb, as his friends looked on with concern. Eventually, he turned to face Handlebarb with a small smile.

"Thanks Handlebarb, I appreciate the kind words."

"That's all I wanted to hear." Handlebarb nodded her head in approval. "See you later!"

The gang watched as Handblebarb and her crew left for the skatepark, leaving just the four of them by themselves.

"So what do you guys want to do today?" Craig asked his friends.

"Let's head to the hideout," Hyun replied. "I'm still a bit sore after all, you know."

"Of course, Hyun. After all, I have a new book I want to share with you all," Kelsey smiled.

"I like that plan," JP agreed.

"Alright, I'm fine with that." Craig approved. "Hyun, do you need any help?"

"Naw I can walk just fine." Hyun declined, to which Craig nodded.

The rest of the day at the creek passed by normally, with just the four kids relaxing and enjoying themselves, putting the few days of drama behind them. Hyun looked at Craig, JP and Kelsey and couldn't help but be grateful he had them by his side; if it wasn't for them, his situation would have only gotten worst and Jason would really had his ways for sure. He was just glad that Handlebarb and her friends showed up on time to stop his revenge before it even happened and while it didn't stop Jason from becoming more vindictive, at the very least, he'll keep his guard up. He wasn't so sure how the rest of his time in Herkleston would turn out, let alone what other crazy events would take place.

Whatever awaits for Hyun, though, one thing is clear: the road would be long and atrocious that would challenge him in more ways than one.

**And that wraps up chapter 2. Before I go though I have a few things I wanted to address. First, I apologized for the long wait. Since releasing the first chapter I finished my first year in school returning and after having a successful year, it gave me the motivation to continue my education throughout 2019 and it took the majority of my time as well as work. A lack of interest to the show also played a factor in as well with a lack of new episodes and somewhat lengthy hiatus. Thankfully, as the time of this writing, new episodes of Craig Of The Creek will premiere every Saturday mourning starting tomorrow. **

**With the Corona Virus outbreak taking storm, classes has been moved to online (I'm a returning college student) and I'm sure you know that the outbreak has resulted many events cancelled and many places closed. As a result of these events has allowed me more time on my hobbies, including getting back into writing.**

**With that being said though I still have classes and work to attend so my time with writing is still a bit limited. Despite this, I will do my best from here on out. One more thing, Some of you have wondered if the story would be a retelling of the show with several new characters. The answer is no as the story would be similar to the show and would share its continuity but it would it's own thing similar to the stories that my friend NeoNimbus established and loved. Go check out his stories. They are really entertaining.**

**Alright, I think that's all the news I want to share. I'll have the next chapter as soon as possible. Until then see you next time!**


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